Slack adjuster



W. H. SAUVAGE.

SLACK ADJUSTER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6, 1920.

Patented Oct. 3, 11922.

IAELQQQ 2 SHEETSSHEE1 l.

' HISAUVAG SLACK ADJUSTER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB- 6. 1.920.

Patented Oct. 3, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented (let 3., i922.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGi-E, OF FLUSHING. NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MEN'IS, TO GOULD COUPLER COMPANY, NEVT YORK, N. Y:

SLACK ADJUSTER.

Application filed February 6, 1920. Serial No. 356 753.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. SAUvAen, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flushing, Long lslanch in the county of Queens and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Slack Adjusters oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in slack adjuster mechanisms and more particularly that type of slack adjuster mechanism adapted to be associated with the foundation brake rigging oi? railway vehicles.

One of the objects of thefpresent invention is to provide a reliable and eiiicient slack adjuster mechanism. particularly adapted for use in connection with the roundation brake rigging and which will insure the taking up or all excess travel in the entire brake rigging of each car on each application and release of the brakes.

A further object is to provide improved. mechanism of the above general character of simple and practical construction which may be operated either by hand or power brakes.

A further obj eat is to proviee an improved mechanism of the above character which is applicable not only to the foundation brake i-i ing oi. all railway vehicles but may also 8723 be applied to the brake rigging of tour wheel street cars and the like without material modification.

(Ether objects will he in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in the accompanying sheets oi? drawings wherein one of various possible embodiments of the present invention is shown and in the several views otwhich similar reference characters denote corresponding parts.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the brake cylinder and such parts of the brake rigging as are necessary to understand the invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view thereof; and

Figure 8 is a detail view of an adjusting rod.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, in which like reference characters denote like parts, 5 denotes a brake cylinder pro vided with a piston 6 pivotally connected at 7 to the upperend of live lever 8 which is pivotally connected its lower end with a shackle 9' whereby it is further pivotally connected at 13 with one end of a second live lever 14. The opposite end of the cylinder is provided with a fixed support 10 to which is pivotally connected at 11 the upper end of a dead lever 12 which is pivotally connected through a shackle 15 to a second dead lever 16.

The live and dead levers i l and 16 are connected near their central parts at 1'7 and 18, respectively, with the two parts of the telescopic push rod 20 and 21. The tubular member 21 is provided with a housing- 22 within which is located any desired form of positively acting permanent take-up and holding means, such as dogs 23 as shown in Figure 2. These dogs are held in canted engageinent with rod 20 to prevent a relative inward movement or shortening of rod 20, 21. Near the opposite ends of the live and dead levers 14 and 16 is a second connecting member comprisinga rod at having a slotted or lost motion connection 25 with the dead lever. said rod telescoping with the tubular member 26 pivotally connected at 27 with the live lever 14-. The extreme ends of the live and dead levers are connected with a coil return spring 2 8 provided with threaded adjusting means 30 at each end whereby its tension may be varied as circumstances require. The adjustin rod comprising the members 24. and 26 is also provided within the housing 31 with any desired form of positively acting temporary take-up and holding means such as dogs and springs similar tothe dogs 23 and spring' of Figure 2. The dogs in this housing 31 are canted against rod or to preventa relative inward. movement, or shortening, of rod 24, Both rods 20, 21 and 2d 26,, however. are free to move in a relative outward direction, that is, to greater effective length being loosely engaged with respect to the holdin; dogs for movement in that direction.

As herein. shown these ends of the live and dead levers are connected by means of struts 32 with brake beams or other desired form of power transmitting means according to the particular application to which this-form of slack adjuster is put.

It will be noted that the rod 24 isprovided with a: threaded connection with a member as having lock nut whereby the adjustment and extent of lost motion is made.

Figure 3' shows a flat adjusting rod which i may be used in place of the round adjusting rod 24, 26. This modification does not change the principle of operation the combination as a whole. The part is a guide box and the part 31 represents a friction housing in .which are holding dogs and spring similar in principle of operation and similarly disposed to the adjusting rod as the dogs and spring in the housing 31 of the round adjusting rod.

The operation of this device is substantially as follows:

On application of the brakes the piston 6 moves outwardly either by power from the cylinder or by pull rods connected with the hand brake mechanism. Pull rods for the hand brake mechanism are shown at 36, Figure 2, attached to extensions of the lugs on part 6. These parts, however, have been omitted in Figure 1 in order to show more clearly the manner of connecting the opposite ends or" the live lever. This movement is transmitted to the live and dead levers 8 and 12, the proper action and reaction taking place by reason of connecting rod 37, Figure 2, against action of return spring 38. This movement tends to move ends oi the live and dead levers 14 and 16 shown in the lower part of Figure 1 toward each other, and as dogs 23 in housing 22 are in locked engagement against relative inward movement of rods 20, 21 there is a consequent outward movement of the opposite endsof the levers l4 and 16 to force the brake beams 33 relatively apart. If no slack is to be taken up a pin 40 merely travels to the position shown in Figure 1 along the slot 25. Any subsequent movement of the pin, however, will cause a relative outward movement of the rod 24 toward the left with respect to its telescopic member 26, it being understood that this rod 24: is free to slip freely in that direction on application of the brakes. On release of the brakes the pin 40 drops back its clearance distance as provided by the slot 25 under the action 01"" return springs 28 and 38. The temporary take up and holding means within the housing 31 however prevent inwardly telescoping move ment of the parts 24: and 26 under which circumstances the points and 27 act as fulcrums to cause a relative outward telescopic movement of the parts 20 and 21. In this manner the permanent take up and holding means within the housing 22 is actuated to an extent exactly corresponding to the excess travel of the brake rigging.

It is thus seen that the present invention provides a simple slack adjuster mechanism particularly adapted for use in connection with a foundation brake rigging.

Considerable variation of the details as described herein may be resorted to without departure from the spirit of the invention 1,43 1.,oas

which is to be construed in the light of the following claims;

What I claim is 1. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, a source of power, live and dead levers connected therewith, a second set of live and dead levers connected with said first set, brakes connected. with said second set, telescopic push rod between said second set of dead levers, telescopic adjusting rod between. said second set, positively acting means associated with both push. rod and adjusting rod whereby telescopic move ment or each is permitted in one direction.

2. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, a source of power, live and dead levers connected therewi' :11, a second set of live and dead levers connected with said first set, brakes connected with said second set, a telescopic push rod between said second set of dead levers, telescopic adjusting rod between said second set, positively acting means associated with both push rod. and adjusting rod whereby telescopic move ment of each is permitted in one direction, and a lost motion device associated with one of said parts permitting normal brake shoe clearance.

3. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, a source of power, live and dead levers connected therewith, a second set of live and dead levers connected with said first set, brakes connected with said second set, a telescopic push rod between said second set of dead levers, telescopic adjusting rod between said secon set of dead levers, positively acting means associated with both push rod and adjusting rod whereby telescopic movement of each is permitted in one direction, a lost motion device associated with one of said parts permitting normal brake shoe clearance, and spring means adapted to return said parts to normal position.

4;. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, a source of power, live and dead lev rs connected therewith, a second set of live and dead levers connected with said first set, brakes connected with said second set,

a telescopic push rod between said second set of dead levers, telescopic adjusting rod between said second set of dead. levers,'pos1- tively acting means associated with both push rod and adjusting rod whereby telelOO return spring acting therebetween, a second set of live and dead levers connected with said first set, a push rod and return spring associated with said second set and an adjusting rod parallel to said push rod having a lost motion connection with one of said levers to insure brake shoe clearance.

6. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, a source of power, live and dead levers connected therewith, a push rod and return spring acting therebetween, a second set of live and dead levers connected with said first set, a push rod and return spring associated with said second set, an adjusting rod parallel to said push rod having a lost motion connection with one of said levers to insure brake shoe clearance, said push rod and adjusting rod associated with the second set of live and dead levers, each having posi tively acting means permitting telescopic movement between the effective ends thereof.

7. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, a source of power, live and dead levers connected therewith having push rod and return spring acting therebetween, a second set of live and dead levers connected with said first set, a push rod and return spring associated with said second set, an adjusting rod parallel to said push rod having a lost motion connection with one of said levers to insure brake shoe clearance, said push rod and adjusting rod associated with the second set of live and dead levers, each having positively acting means permitting telescopic movement between the effective ends thereof, said positively acting means including a housing associated with one part having holding dogs adapted to coact with the other part.

8. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, a source of power, live and dead levers connected therewith, a push rod acting between the central part of said live and dead levers, a second set of live and dead levers connected at their ends with the ends of said first mentioned set, a two part telescopic push rod acting between the central parts of said second set of live and dead levers, an adjusting rod connected with said levers and lying parallel to said push rod, said adjusting rod comprising two telescoping parts and positively acting holding means acting with both said push rod and said adjusting rod adapted to permit a relative change in the effective length of each in opposite directions.

9. In a slack adjusted mechanism, in combination, a source of power, live and dead levers connected therewith, a push rod acting between the central part of said live and dead levers, a second set of live and dead levers connected at their ends with the ends of said first mentioned set, a two part telescopic push rod acting between the central parts of said second set of live and dead levers, an adjusting rod connected with said levers and lying parallel to said push rod, said adjusting rod comprising two telescoping parts, positively acting holding means coa'cting with both said push rod and said adjusting rod adapted to permit a relative change in the efiective length of the adjusting rod upon application of the brakes and of the push rod upon release of the brakes, and a lost motion device associated with said adjusting rod adapted to permit normal brake shoe clearance and prevent actuation of the slack adjuster except when excess travel occurs.

10. In a slack adjuster mechanism, in combination, a source of power, live and dead levers connected therewith, a second set of live and dead levers associated with said first mentioned live and dead levers, a two-part telescopic push rod acting between the central parts of said second live and dead levers and positioned parallel to a two-part adjusting rod connected with said second live and dead levers, positively acting holding means adjusted respectively to said adjusting rod and to said push rod, whereby the effective length of said adjusting rod is changed when said first mentioned live and dead levers move their associated ends of the said second live and dead levers relatively apart and whereby the effective length of said push rod is changed when said first mentioned, live and dead levers move their associated ends of the said second live and dead levers relatively together.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WVILLIAM H. SAUVAGE. lVitnesses DONALD (J. DAVIS, ALFRED E. O'r'r. 

